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Taylor Issues Edison Local School District Performance Audit

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Jefferson County -

State Auditor Mary Taylor released the performance audit of Edison Local School District today.  The audit recommends additional ways for the district to reduce costs and avoid fiscal emergency.  If implemented, the recommendations can save the district more than $6 million.

“Edison Local School District has already been impacted by declining financial resources and has worked diligently to cut costs.  The school board is committed to being responsible with the tax dollars they spend and the performance audit released today will serve as a blueprint for future savings,” said Taylor.

Over recent years, the district’s operating revenue has steadily declined and it has been subsequently placed in fiscal watch.  Edison Local School District is projecting a general fund deficit of $2.9 million for fiscal years 2007 and 2008.  The performance audit was conducted in response to the district’s declining financial condition and fiscal oversight declaration. 

The performance audit of Edison Local School District addresses financial systems, human resources, facilities, transportation and technology.  The audit notes that the district should be commended for their excellent information technology program and their system for addressing IT repairs, while being sensitive to the district’s budget. 

The major savings identified in the audit include potentially making certain reductions in current staffing levels to save almost $2.5 million and decreasing the bus fleet expenses to save $42,000.

The audit notes that many recommendations made in the performance audit have already been addressed by the school district.  For example, they have lowered personnel costs and consolidated building costs to further reduce spending.

Performance audits report on the efficiency and effectiveness of government agencies or programs.  This is achieved by comparing programs and operations of the audit client to similarly situated entities. A performance audit can be used to help agencies improve operations, save taxpayer dollars and make good use of existing resources.

The Ohio Auditor of State’s Office is one of the largest accounting offices in the nation.  The office strives to ensure that all public funds are spent legally and appropriately and works aggressively to root out fraud, waste and abuse in public spending. Taylor encourages anyone suspecting fraud or misspending of public dollars to contact her office toll free at 1-866-FRAUD-OH (1-866-372-8364).

A full copy of the report is available online at www.auditor.state.oh.us.